How to visit, support and learn respectfully

Lesson 5 of 5 in "Peoples today", about 5 minutes

Many people who learn about indigenous and tribal peoples want to do something: to visit, to help or simply to know more. That impulse is good. The guiding idea is to treat communities as hosts and partners with their own rules and priorities, not as attractions or as people in need of rescue. The steps below turn that idea into practice.

Before you visit

• Find out whose land it is and whether visitors are welcome at all.
• Check for permits. In India, travel to Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram requires an Inner Line Permit for visitors from other states.
• Choose tours and stays that are owned or run by the community.
• Learn a few words of greeting and the basic rules of politeness.
• Read something written by a member of the community.

Some places are closed, and that must be respected. Entering the tribal reserves of the Andaman Islands is illegal. So is approaching isolated peoples anywhere. No photograph or adventure justifies the risk of carrying disease to people without immunity. Tours that promise sightings of isolated or recently contacted peoples should be refused and reported.

While you are there

Behave as a guest in someone's home. Ask before taking photographs of people, houses, ceremonies or graves, and accept a refusal. Dress as local custom expects. Do not enter sacred sites or touch ritual objects unless invited. Follow instructions on where to walk. If you are offered food or drink, receiving it graciously matters more than whether it is to your taste.

Buying well

Craft sales are an important income for many communities. Buy directly from the maker or from a cooperative, and pay the price asked without hard bargaining. Ask who made the piece and what it means. Be wary of mass-produced items labelled 'tribal'. Some countries have marks of authenticity, and in India government and cooperative outlets sell products sourced from tribal artisans.

Giving and supporting

• Give to organisations led by indigenous people themselves where you can.
• Support their priorities, which are often land rights, legal aid, language and health.
• Avoid handing out sweets, money or gifts to children, which encourages begging.
• Do not volunteer for work a local person could be paid to do.
• Use your voice at home: ask what your bank, pension fund or favourite brands do on indigenous land.

Acknowledging the land

In Australia, Canada, New Zealand and parts of the United States, public events often open by naming the indigenous people on whose traditional land the event takes place. This is called an acknowledgement of country or a land acknowledgement. It is a small courtesy with a purpose: it reminds everyone present that the place had owners before the city was built, and that their descendants are still there.

Keep learning

Go to the source. Read novels, histories and poems by indigenous authors. Watch films made by indigenous directors. Follow the news services and organisations that communities run for themselves. Learn the name and something of the history of the people whose land you live on. When you repeat what you have learnt, say where it came from.

Expect complexity. Members of a community disagree with each other, as people do everywhere. One person does not speak for all. You will sometimes get things wrong. When corrected, thank the person and adjust. Respect in this field is less a set of rules than a habit of listening, checking and letting people speak for themselves.

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